Groundforce opens excavation training centre

Trenching rental company Groundforce has opened a new training centre in the UK designed to improve health and safety standards and raise awareness on the dangers of excavation construction.

Groundforce, which is part of the VP plc rental business, has established Groundforce Training Services. The new division will operate from the training centre at Worksop, comprising classrooms, workshops and a 1400 ft2 outdoor training area.

The centre will offer a selection of one and two day courses, examining why excavations fail, and look at bad practice and how it can be eliminated. Groundforce said the provision of training was important given the increase in basement construction projects, including large residential schemes and major infrastructure projects.

Simon Littlewood, managing director of Groundforce, said, “The opening of this new training centre is a natural progression for our business, and it reinforces our commitment to help improve health and safety within the construction industry.

“Over the past five years we have introduced a comprehensive range of site-safety equipment, and we have worked closely with health and safety personnel from a number of the UK’s leading contractor’s trialling new products, as well as working with industry organisations to develop a range of training courses.”